


Ink and Pepper

by Secchar



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: AU, Dog owners, Gen, Huchu is Pepper, Meokmul is Ink
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-06
Updated: 2019-01-06
Packaged: 2019-10-05 13:39:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 14,569
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17326034
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Secchar/pseuds/Secchar
Summary: For TheLittlePrinceFicFest:Prompt #109: "You know, there are two good things in life, freedom of thought and freedom of action."Kyungsoo finds two little demons, and then he gets a whole lot more.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to my beta for cleaning this up and the mods for organizing this fest and of course the prompter who let me write a story about Kyungsoo.

_Do Junsoo, 56, has been charged with bribery and embezzlement after documents showed the JSD Chairman had used the company as his personal piggy bank. Allegations of embezzlement against Do Junsoo arose during the police investigation for similar allegations against Do Kyungsoo, 28, Vice Chairman and oldest son of Do Junsoo. All allegations against Do Kyungsoo were dropped when Do Junsoo was charged._

Kyungsoo exits out of the article and turns to the official police report on his desk. He looks over it disinterestedly. It’s nothing he hadn’t expected. His father, a callous and distant man at his best, had given him the mantle of vice chairman at 25, and the new position marked a very drastic change in their relationship. Suddenly he was the perfect son shown off and doted upon in every public setting imaginable. It made Kyungsoo suspicious of his father from the beginning. Growing up in the business world had taught him that if someone was nice to you, it meant they wanted something or they were going to throw you under the bus.

 

When the accusations against him came out, Kyungsoo had breathed a sigh of relief. Years of suspicion had been lifted off of his shoulders. There was no doubt that the accusations had come from his father and that the accusations against him were his father’s own vice.

 

After the accusations came out, Do Junsoo took on the role of a betrayed father. To anyone who would listen, he would always wax poetic about how blindsided he was with the betrayal of his son. Never once did he defend Kyungsoo or try to deny the allegations.

 

Kyungsoo’s father ended up relying too much on his performance and not enough on the actual coverage of the evidence. The documents showing embezzlement were easily found. The offshore bank account was found even easier as were the multiple documents with Kyungsoo’s forged signature. It was too easy.

 

The police eventually got to questioning Kyungsoo himself, and half an hour with Kyungsoo revealed that he had no idea about the embezzlement or the offshore bank account, but he did know about the signatures on the documents. They weren’t his. The swoosh on the end of each “O” was too large and rounded. Kyungsoo showed the police a signature from when he was just a low-level employee. The swoosh was small and tight. It was efficient and controlled unlike his father.

 

As Kyungsoo looked over the police report to see the particulars of his father’s crimes, he briefly wondered what had happened. Money wasn’t an issue for them. They wanted for nothing. _Of_ _course_ , Kyungsoo thinks, _that’s only what I thought_. His father obviously wanted money and desired it to such an extreme that he would steal from his own company and risk prosecution from the police.

 

A cursory glance at the silver-framed photo on his desk has him snorting. Engraved along the bottom of the frame is the quote:

 

“ _There are two good things in this life, freedom of thought and freedom of action.”_

 

This was a favorite phrase of Kyungsoo’s father, the accused man who prided himself on his business acumen.  For a long time Kyungsoo didn’t fully understand what it meant. He knew the phrase was from a book that took its title from an essay by Spinoza, but as to the contents of the book and the essay, he was ignorant.

 

Kyungsoo always had the basic understanding that the phrase meant to be a shepherd and not a sheep. As a Do and the son meant to inherit Korea’s largest tech company, Kyungsoo would never be a sheep. On a more personal level, Kyungsoo understood it to mean that studying and knowledge would allow him the capability to have control of his own thoughts and actions. This too was easily achieved with the help of the best tutors and teachers that money could buy. With his newly acquired knowledge came the insight that philosophical phrases like the one his father liked to say could never fully be understood, and he accepted that and moved on. He wasn’t philosophically minded enough to try and glean more meaning from it.

 

Unexpectedly, his father’s arrest has given him a new understanding of the phrase. His father’s own desire had blinded him to such an extent that he cared for nothing else.  It’s become clear to him that acting on your own desires is the same as giving up any freedom one could possess. Desire is an insatiable beast and a relentless slave driver.

 

As Kyungsoo exits out from the police report and opens up a draft of a contract, he silently thanks his father for the lesson.

 

 

 

 

“Sehun!”

 

Kyungsoo’s lanky younger brother pops his head in through the open door, “Did you call, Brother Dearest?”

 

Kyungsoo scowls from behind the oversized mahogany desk. “Did you schedule the meeting with the investors?”

 

Sehun slumps against the doorframe, uncaring that he’s wrinkling his very expensive suit, “I told Miss Kim to do it. Don’t know if she did it, but I can check.”

 

Kyungsoo’s scowl deepens at his brother’s listlessness. “Please do, we need to know as soon as possible. The project can’t move forward unless they agree to it.”

 

Sehun shoots him finger guns. “You got it duderino. I’ll tell her to forward any and all emails from the investors to you since I’m heading out for the night. Got to kiss the baby before bedtime and walk Vivi. You headed out soon?”

 

Kyungsoo takes a quick look at the clock: 7:05. He shakes his head. “No, I still have a couple of spreadsheets and presentations to look over.”

 

Sehun nods sarcastically. “Right, ‘have to’ look over. Anyway, I’ll see you tomorrow. Hopefully you won’t spend the night out here.” Sehun ducks out of the doorway before ducking back in, “Again.” He ducks out again and thankfully, doesn’t return.

 

Kyungsoo waits an extra minute to make sure Sehun’s truly gone before turning back to his computer. His younger brother may think that Kyungsoo’s doing needless work, but it’s anything but. The board has him under close scrutiny since he’s risen to position of chairman. All they need is one small mistake to oust the family from the company. Kyungsoo plans to give them no reason to do so. He’s decreased his own salary by over 70%, he’s working 16-hour days, and has three outside lawyers and accountants constantly monitoring his emails and bank accounts. Kyungsoo will not let his family’s legacy be destroyed by his father’s greed.

 

It’s past 1 when Kyungsoo finally heads home, and even then it’s only because his eyes had become too gritty to stare at the screen anymore. To boost morale among the company’s staff and to show a new side to the public, the board had approved Kyungsoo’s idea of expanding into the video game market. Right now, they’re in the research phase, collecting data on the current types of games, their demographics and their popularity. Kyungsoo has personally taken on the job of sifting through all of that data as another way of showing his reliability and responsibility. As a result, Kyungsoo has not gone home before midnight in three months.

 

Kyungsoo stifles a yawn as he walks back to his apartment. His apartment is the only luxury he owns and even then it’s not an indulgence. It’s for practicality. It’s a studio apartment that’s a five-minute walk from the company. It’s expensive since it’s right in the middle of the business district, but Kyungsoo thinks the price is worth it if he can get to-and-from the company whenever he wants with little to no hassle.

 

The apartment, while having a doorman and an in-house cleaning service, isn’t nearly as expensive as the house his parents have on the outskirts of the city. With his father in jail, Kyungsoo had briefly considered selling the house to pay back some of the money his father stole, but ultimately had kept it for the sake of his mother who wouldn’t do well with so much change. To help fuel this decision, Sehun with his wife, daughter, and dog had moved in, selling their own house in the process.

 

Kyungsoo’s so lost to the outside world that the yipping and growling in the background doesn’t even register. It’s only when he trips over the box on the front steps leading up to his apartment that he’s physically reminded of reality. He manages to catch himself with his hands, but his left knee bangs painfully against the second step, and his hands end up sliding roughly across the concrete. He hisses when he sees his palms are scrapped up and from the dull throbbing of his knee, he knows there’ll be a bruise. A quick look at his pant leg has him breathing a sigh of relief though. His pants don’t seem worse for wear other than a smear of white dust.

 

When he’s sure there’s nothing extremely wrong with him, he flips over and looks at the box between his legs. It’s some standard box from the supermarket two blocks down and inside are two dogs. Kyungsoo just stares at them for a long time because it’s been a long day, he’s tired, and two dogs on the stoop of an apartment building in the business district of a city just seems extremely unlikely. When his brain finally processes that yes, there are two dogs on the stoop of an apartment building in the business district of a city, he takes a better look at them.

 

The dogs are both extremely small puppies of approximately the same breed: poodles. One has silver-gray fur and is bigger than the other, which is black. Now that they’ve got Kyungsoo’s attention, they’ve ceased their high-pitched yipping and are just staring at him with their little beady, black eyes. It’s more than a little disturbing.

 

Kyungsoo aimlessly looks around, not knowing what he’s looking for, but just hoping that someone will magically appear and pick up these dogs that have been left to fend for themselves. When no such person appears, Kyungsoo sighs and gets up. The dogs follow his movements. He takes a last look before walking up the final few steps and into the apartment building. Kyungsoo walks over to the front desk where Chanyeol is reading a comic book. He doesn’t notice Kyungsoo.

 

“Chanyeol.”

 

Chanyeol scrambles up at the calling of his name and simultaneously smiles widely up at Kyungsoo and sending his comic book flying against the back wall. “Mr. Do! Good even—Morning! How can I help you?”

 

Chanyeol’s exuberance is too much right now. Kyungsoo can already a feel a headache coming on. He gestures tiredly to the door. “There are two dogs on the stoop.”

 

In leaning over to get a good look out the door despite the dogs not being in view, Chanyeol knocks against Kyungsoo’s arm. Alarmed, Chanyeol leans back up quickly and pats Kyungsoo’s arm. Kyungsoo steps out of reach.

 

Chanyeol smiles sheepishly. “Sorry, Mr. Do. I’ll call animal control right away and get those dogs sent to the pound.”

 

Kyungsoo nods. Relieved that the dogs will be taken care of, he heads over to the elevator and is about to step on when he remembers a conversation he had with Sehun when Sehun got Vivi.

 

None of the animal shelters in a 15-mile radius are no-kill shelters, which is why Sehun had adopted Vivi in the first place. Kyungsoo chances a glance back as the door. Logically there’s no way they would put down two puppies so soon, but also logically, the press is still following him and he could be looking at a headline that reads “JSD Chairman sends innocent puppies to die’.

 

“Chanyeol, what’s the pet policy?”

 

Chanyeol straightens up and slams down the phone, eager to help Kyungsoo. “It’s great, Mr. Do. The apartment allows all animals up to 65lbs as long as their vaccination records are up-to-date. If someone were to bring in a pet over the weight limit, they’d have to have a doctor’s note. Along with that, we have a contract with the shop down the road for grooming so long as—”

 

Kyungsoo holds up a hand to stop Chanyeol. It’s too much information that he doesn’t need. Chanyeol obediently stops talking. Kyungsoo points to the door. “I’m going to take them up tonight, and then sometime this weekend, I’ll take them to a shelter. I know that they’re not vaccinated, but I promise they’ll be out by the weekend.”

 

The answer should be no. It’s a blatant disregard of the apartment policy, but Chanyeol has been Kyungsoo’s doorman for two years now, and Kyungsoo knows that apart from his fiancé, Chanyeol loves his dog Toben, a poodle, most in the world, and Kyungsoo’s banking on that love to apply to dogs in general, but as a precaution, “They’re poodles.”

 

Now with the similarities between Toben and the dogs undeniable, the conflict on Chanyeol’s face grows. Every emotion Chanyeol has ever felt in his life has crossed his face, and now is no different. The internal battle playing out on Chanyeol’s face is somewhat enjoyable for Kyungsoo to watch. On the one hand, his job involves not violating the apartment policy, but there are two defenseless puppy poodles out there in the world, and Toben’s a poodle.

 

Toben wins in the end.

 

“If you can promise that they’ll be in the shelter or vaccinated by Sunday then they can stay.”

 

“They’ll be in the shelter by Sunday,” Kyungsoo affirms, brushing over the second part of Chanyeol’s statement. He’s not keeping them.

 

The puppies are quiet until Kyungsoo steps outside and then they start yipping excitedly. The black one jumps on top of the gray one to try and get closer to Kyungsoo. Alarmed, Kyungsoo crouches down and pushes the black one back gently so that the gray one doesn’t get hurt. The gray one bounds back up, completely unaffected, and starts licking at Kyungsoo’s fingers.  Kyungsoo lifts his hand out of the way and wipes them on his pants. It’s wet and gross and he’s going to have to get these pants dry-cleaned now. He picks up the box and holds it as far as possible from him as he walks back in. The dogs, excited to be moving, place their paws on the front of the box to see where they’re going.

 

Inside, upon seeing the panting smiles and wagging tails, Chanyeol can’t help but coo. “Oh, look at them. Who would leave these beautiful little babies out in the cold? Aren’t you two just precious little puppers? Yes, you are. Yes, you are,” Chanyeol comes out from behind the counter to come and baby-talk the dogs. The dogs try to clamber out of the box and lick at his face, whining when they can’t jump out of the box to get at Chanyeol.

 

Kyungsoo watches in mild discomfort. It’s very weird to see someone talk like that to dogs. He knows people do it; Sehun makes his wife put Vivi on the phone so he can do it. This is the first time he’s ever witnessed it, and he’s not a fan. He suffers through a few more seconds of watching Chanyeol’s exaggerated pouting as he talks to the dogs before interrupting.

 

“I’m going to head up with the dogs, Chanyeol.”

 

Chanyeol straightens up immediately. “Of course, Mr. Do. Have a good night.”

 

Kyungsoo gives a thin, obligatory smile and heads to the elevator. Given the time of night, the elevator doors open promptly and Kyungsoo steps in. He turns around and manages to shift the box to one side so he can press the button for the 4thfloor. Shifting the box back so that its weight is evenly distributed, he faces front. Chanyeol, still standing in the same place, wiggles his fingers and coos in his direction. Kyungsoo hopes that it’s to the dogs and not him.

 

The doors close.

 

The light droning of the elevator zipping up is the only sound heard, and Kyungsoo sighs in relief. This has been a long day and he’s only minutes from falling into bed. The small sniffling and panting reminds him of his new burden. He looks down at the two dogs. Noticing that they’ve got his attention, they dogs start wagging their tails so furiously that their entire bodies are propelled back and forth from the motion.

 

Maybe it’s the wagging or the panting or the happy smiles that they’re giving him, but either way, Kyungsoo is suddenly reminded that these are living, breathing animals. And living, breathing animals require care like feeding and watering and relieving. These are all things Kyungsoo doesn’t have time nor really the want to do.

 

The elevator dings and the doors opens. The dogs start yipping at the sound and Kyungsoo immediately starts shushing them. When they don’t immediately quiet down, Kyungsoo starts rushing down the hall towards his apartment. In his haste to try and get into his apartment before Old Man Kim comes out and tries to chew him out, Kyungsoo manages to drop his keys on the floor with a loud jingle. Old Man Kim’s half-deaf, but that’s not going to stop him from screaming at Kyungsoo for being too loud. 

 

Kyungsoo curses and tries to shift the dogs to his hip while simultaneously kneeling down to pick up his keys, but when the box gets shifted, the dogs, excited by the movement, both run to the opposite side and pop up to see what’s happening. Having the weight shift all to one side causes the box to tip backwards out of Kyungsoo’s hold and onto the floor. Free from their confines, the dogs make their great escape out into the hallway.

 

Right away, the black one reveals himself to be the terror. The first place he runs to is the potted plant by the elevator and Kyungsoo can only watch in slow-motion horror as the black one’s back leg lifts up and he starts to pee. The pot itself is white, glazed ceramic and Kyungsoo can only watch in despair as the pee slides down the pot onto the plush blue carpet.

 

Only when the black one’s done and moving over to the second potted plant does Kyungsoo finally start moving. He swipes up his keys and quickly unlocks the door. The gray one, who’s done nothing but sniff at the door on the opposite side of the hallway, quickly scampers over into the apartment once it’s open. This action makes him Kyungsoo’s favorite especially since the black one only gives the open apartment door a cursory look before going back to his mission: peeing on the second potted plant.

 

“No, no, no, no,” Kyungsoo whispers-hisses, running down the hall as quietly as he can. He scoops up the black one just as that back leg lifts and books it back down the hall into his own apartment. He shuts the door with his foot and lowers the black one down to the ground. He flicks on the light and stares at the two menaces. The gray one’s sitting with his head cocked giving Kyungsoo a panting smile. The black one is already sniffing around Kyungsoo’s couch before moving over to the bookcase against the far wall. Kyungsoo sighs heavily.

 

“One night, one night,” Kyungsoo chants under his breath as he goes into his crummy, little kitchen and opens his cupboard to pull out a plastic mixing bowl. Behind him, he hears two sets of little claws tap in. He doesn’t look behind him, but moves over to the sink and fills the mixing bowl with water. He turns around and sets the bowl on floor. Immediately the two dogs are on the bowl. Kyungsoo watches with resigned disgust as they get water all over the floor. Kyungsoo knows that they’re thirsty, but more water’s going onto the floor than in their mouths.

 

Kyungsoo watches for a few more seconds before sighing heavily again and walking away to his mattress in the corner. He collapses on it face first. It’s so late, and his palms are still scraped, he’s still wearing his suit and he has to get to work at 6am. But he still has to figure out what to do about the dogs. He can’t leave them alone for the whole day. They’ll pee and poop all over the place and probably tear everything up. With a sigh, he pushes himself up into a sitting position and pulls out his phone.

 

A quick search for “emergency dog sitting” brings up a whole mess of results, and Kyungsoo calls four numbers before finally getting an answer on the fifth. There’s a quick blaring that’s cut off abruptly, and then the crackling of a chip bag. Kyungsoo already has misgivings, but he’s desperate. There are some more miscellaneous sounds before someone finally speaks.

 

“This is Jongin.”

 

Kyungsoo waits for more of a greeting, but when it becomes clear that he’s not going to get one, he replies hesitatingly. This can’t be the right number. “Hello, I’m Do Kyungsoo. I’m sorry, but I think I have the wrong number. Is this Kim’s Emergency Pet Sitting Service?”

 

Frantic sounds are coming from the other end of the phone now. Kyungsoo would almost say it sounds like this kid is getting up off the couch. Well that’s comforting. There’s the distinct sound of a throat clearing before Jongin replies, his voice much more professional. “Ah yes. This is Kim’s Emergency Pet Sitting Service. I’m Kim Jongin, the owner and one of the caretakers. How can I help you, Mr. Do?”

 

Kyungsoo’s not sure he wants this kid to help him. “I have 2 dogs in my apartment that I found on my apartment’s stoop and—”

 

“That’s very kind of you, sir,” Jongin interrupts.

 

“Yeah,” Kyungsoo dismisses, “Anyway, they’re both in my apartment right now, and I’ve got to be at work tomorrow at 6, so I need someone to come in and take care of them. Can you be here at 5:30am?”

 

Kyungsoo hears a hiss from the other side before a hesitant response, “Yeah, sure. I can be there. Where do you live?”

 

Kyungsoo rattles off his address and after quick goodbyes, Kyungsoo ends the call. He lets his phone drop next to him and lets his head fall back on the pillow. His eyes feel gritty. He’s exhausted. He’s on the verge of falling asleep when he feels his mattress dip. He opens one eye. It’s the gray one sitting on the edge of the bed. His head is cocked and he’s staring at Kyungsoo with those beady eyes. Kyungsoo groans and turns his head away.

 

“You can stay, but you have to stay on that side.” He turns his head back slightly just in time to see the gray one lay down, head between his paws, eyes still on Kyungsoo. Kyungsoo turns back only to come face-to-paws with the black one. He shuffles a little to the left to put some space between them. “Same rules apply, but know you’re on thin fucking ice.”

 

 

 

 

 

5am comes too quickly. Kyungsoo’s alarm tone is generic, which makes it grate on his nerves even more. He’s not even close to well-rested, but he’s got to get into the office. He needs to compile the data and prepare the presentation for the investors’ meeting tomorrow. The alarm isn’t only grating on his nerves. The gray one starts barking and paws at the phone until he paws it off the mattress. Kyungsoo hears it clacks against the floor. He groans.

 

He rolls over to try and pick up his phone without leaving the warmth of his bed, but in his quest he ends up rolling onto the gray one who yips in pain. Kyungsoo rolls back immediately, but the damage has been done: the black one must come to the defense of his best friend.

 

The black one jumps on Kyungsoo’s head and keeps pouncing on him, and even though he’s like 6 pounds wet, Kyungsoo’s not in the mood to be trampled by a poodle. Just by pushing himself into a sitting position, he’s already won. The black one slides off into a heap. Kyungsoo rolls off the bed freely since the gray one’s hopped down to the phone and has picked up the phone in his mouth.

 

“No, no, no, no,” Kyungsoo hisses. His voice is cracked and his throat is swollen. He swallows painfully and goes after the gray one. His throat will have to wait. The gray one is chewing on the rubber casing of the phone and maybe it’s because it is so chewy and the dog is undoubtedly hungry, but Kyungsoo cannot get the gray one to let go of his phone. All this time the phone alarm is still blaring. Kyungsoo is going to scream.

 

The gray one is growling at him, but his tail is wagging, so Kyungsoo thinks that this is playful for the dog. Too bad it’s not playful for him. Kyungsoo rips the phone from the gray one’s mouth and inspects it. It’s wet and slimy, but mostly intact. There’s no damage to the screen itself, but the edge has teeth marks. Kyungsoo wipes off most of the drool and carries it to the bathroom. He hears both dogs scampering after him. He shuts the bathroom door in their face. Immediately they start pawing at the door, tiny claws clacking against the wood.

 

Kyungsoo ignores them and showers quickly. He needs to be ready before Jongin gets here because as soon as he’s got Jongin situated, he’s going to need to run to the office. In-and-out in ten minutes and then another ten to blow-dry and style his hair (he has an image to uphold), and then he’s out. His first step is straight into a puddle of pee.

 

Kyungsoo freezes. It’s still warm. Kyungsoo sucks air in harshly through his teeth and looks down at the two monsters, their tails wagging because there’s no longer a door between them. Both of them with their panting smiles and gleaming black, demon eyes are entirely unaware of the transgression they’ve just committed. Kyungsoo’s eyes flick between the two, but both are smiling. He has no idea which dog it is. The black one’s the troublemaker, but Kyungsoo did see him pee last night. He did not see the gray one pee.

 

It’s with the greatest of care that Kyungsoo lifts his foot up, gagging when he hears it drip, and pulls it back to place it on his towel, that he’s, fortunately, left on the floor like the mess he is. With the same foot, he slides the towel across the floor until it covers the puddle. This is a problem that needs to be cleaned up, but Kyungsoo doesn’t have the time nor the cleaning supplies. In fact he’s not sure how often his apartment is cleaned by the in-house service. Can he call them to come in? Is that an option?

 

Ugh, who knows? If not, he’ll give Jongin his personal card to go out and buy supplies. The dogs probably need stuff to last the few days they’ll stay over. Jongin probably knows what they’ll need. Right now, he needs to wash his foot…again.

 

Kyungsoo hops over to the bathtub and runs water over his foot and quickly scrubs over it with body wash. He shakes his head as he towels his foot dry. He’s running behind. Jongin will be here within 5 minutes and Kyungsoo’s still wearing only a towel. It’s a mad dash around his room with the dogs following him everywhere while he puts on his 2ndgray suit with a black tie just like he does everyday.

 

The doorbell rings right as Kyungsoo’s putting on his shoes. Kyungsoo hop-skips over to the door, almost tripping over the gray one in the process. Kyungsoo glares at him briefly. Maybe he misjudged who the troublemaker was.

 

On the opposite side of the door is a tall, tan sleepy-looking boy. His chiseled features make him look older than Kyungsoo, but Kyungsoo refuses to believe a boy who was so unprofessional on the phone is older than him.

 

Through a yawn, the boy introduces himself. “Hi, I’m Jongin. You must be Mr. Do, and these must be the precious puppers. How are you? How are you? Aren’t you beautiful? Yes, you are.” The moment Jongin sees the dogs, his entire demeanor changes. He drops into a squat and reaches out with both hands to the dogs, who had come forward when Kyungsoo opened the door. The sleepiness has completely left Jongin and he’s smiling widely as he continues to baby talk the dogs. The dogs are loving it, jumping up into Jongin’s waiting arms, tails wagging a mile a minute. Kyungsoo’s got to stop this in its tracks.

 

“Yes, I’m Do Kyungsoo, and these are the dogs. Please come in. I have to leave soon.” Kyungsoo’s voice is still very obviously thick and swollen. He’ll need to drink tea when he gets into the office.

 

Jongin coughs and straightens up. When he speaks, his voice is deeper to show how professional he is. Again, Kyungsoo feels uneasy leaving this kid in charge of his apartment and its two little inhabitants. “Yes, of course. What do you expect of me?”

 

Kyungsoo eyes drop to the towel in front of the bathroom door. “The dogs are only staying until the weekend, so I need you to buy anything they’ll need to survive for that long. That’s the only specific thing. Just make sure they don’t die.”

 

Jongin nods along as though Kyungsoo has not just given the most apathetic speech about dogs ever spoken. “Right, okay. I can do that. How do you want me to pay for the stuff?”

 

Kyungsoo briefly considers giving Jongin his card, but he quickly dismisses the idea. He doesn’t know this kid. But he doesn’t have cash on him, and he can’t make Jongin pay with his own card. Chanyeol briefly mentioned a shop down the road. Did he say it was a pet store?

 

“Do you know the pet store down the block?”

 

Jongin nods immediately. “You’re talking about Byun’s Stop-And-Groom Pet Shop? Yeah, do you want me to buy it there?”

 

Kyungsoo nods. That’s probably the place. “Yeah, I’ll call ahead and tell them you’re coming. You should be able to buy anything you need then.”

 

“Okay, cool. Last question then. How late do you need me to stay?”

 

Jongin doesn’t know it, but that’s a very loaded question. For most of the company, it’s a 9 to 5 job, but Kyungsoo has not left the company before midnight since he was made Chairman, probably before being the Vice Chairman if he’s honest. At least when he was Vice Chairman, he didn’t work weekends.

 

“I work very late usually past midnight. I don’t expect you to stay that long. If you can stay till 11 that’ll be good.”

 

“You’re going in at 6 and leaving after midnight?” Jongin’s voice is high pitched. Kyungsoo knows the hours are ridiculous, but Jongin doesn’t know the kind of pressure that Kyungsoo’s under. Kyungsoo has to work those hours to show that he’s nothing like his father, that he doesn’t succumb to his own base desires like his father.

 

“Yes, it’s very long. Anyway, I have to leave now. Here’s my number for you in case you need anything, and I know you probably have a rate which you charge, but I need you to come tomorrow as well, so I’ll leave both days’ pay tomorrow. Okay? I have to go now.” He pushes his business card into Jongin’s hand.

 

Kyungsoo’s edging out the door and is about to close Jongin and the dogs in when Jongin stops him again. “Wait! What are the dogs names?”

 

Kyungsoo looks at them incredulously. “I told you. I picked them up last night and they’re going to the pound. They don’t have names.”

 

Jongin’s not satisfied with that answer. “Even if you give the dogs to the pound, there’s a blank for the dog’s name on the paperwork.”

 

“But I don’t need to fill it out,” Kyungsoo argues. He needs to leave right now if he doesn’t want to be late.

 

“I mean that’s true, but you really want to let the pound workers name them? That leaves the risk of having one of them named Fluffy. Do you want one of the dogs to suffer having the name Fluffy?”

 

Kyungsoo wants to argue that there’s a very low chance of a dog being named Fluffy, but he chances a look down at the dogs, who are jumping up Jongin’s legs, begging for more attention. They are very fluffy poodles. Maybe he shouldn’t chance that. But how does he name dogs? Does he name them human names? He scrutinizes the dogs briefly. He points to the gray one, “Pepper,” and then the black one, “Ink.”

 

Jongin nods, satisfied. “Okay. Ink and Pepper, I like that. Do you like your names? You two precious babies, do you like your names?” The dogs start barking happily when Jongin starts paying attention to them again.

 

Kyungsoo can’t close the door fast enough when Jongin starts baby-talking the dogs. He hopes this isn’t a mistake.

 

 

 

 

 

At 9am, after Kyungsoo’s gotten his more pressing work done, and some tea made for his throat, he manages to call Byun’s Stop-And-Groom Pet Shop. The phone barely rings before a bright, chipper voice answers, “Hello, you’ve reached Byun’s Stop-And-Groom Pet Shop. My name is Byun Baekhyun, how can I help you?”

 

Kyungsoo smiles. This guy has the best customer service voice he has ever heard. “Hello, my name is Do Kyungsoo. In a bit, my dog sitter, Kim Jongin, will be coming by to buy some things for my dogs, and I’d like to leave my credit card information with you, so he can buy the things he needs.”

 

Baekhyun hums delightedly. “Ah, Chanyeol told me about you. You took in two poodles. That’s very kind of you, sir. Normally, it wouldn’t be allowed, but Chanyeol told me all about your circumstances, so I think we can make an exception.”

 

Kyungsoo’s quiet. He’s grateful that an exception has been made, but what did Chanyeol say? He finally manages a brief, “Thank you,” before Baekhyun’s talking over him again. “It’s, of course, really lucky that you found Jongin. He’s not the most professional, but no one loves dogs more than him. He’s got three poodles of his own, so he’ll know what to get. If you want to give me your information, I am ready to take it down.”

 

It takes Kyungsoo a few seconds to understand what’s just happened. Baekhyun’s seamlessly transitioned from somewhat off-topic information to business. It’s an inherent skill. Kyungsoo almost wants to hire him for his own company. Baekhyun is a man who could easily sell any type of video game. But he’s quickly able to recover and give his credit card information. Almost instantaneously, Baekhyun takes it down, and a few seconds later, the conversation is over. It’s easily the friendliest and most efficient conversation Kyungsoo’s ever had.

 

With the dogs and Jongin taken care of, the next step is to call the closest no-kill shelter. A quick search shows that the closest no-kill shelter is 18 miles away. And a quick call reveals that they’re full like completely-there’s-a-waiting-list full. Another search reveals that the next no-kill shelter is over 100 miles away. Why are there so few no-kill shelters?

 

“Sehun!” Kyungsoo’s going to have to talk to an authority on this. His voice cracks horrendously. This tea isn’t doing a damn thing.

 

Sehun slides into the doorway. “Did you call, Brother Dear?”

 

“If you wanted to get rid of Vivi, how would you do it?” There’s no need to tell Sehun that he’s taken in two dogs.

 

For the first time in his life, Sehun doesn’t have a quick comeback. He actually freezes for a bit and when he does manage to reply, his voice is distinctly strained, “What?”

 

Kyungsoo now realizes how he sounded. “There’s nothing serious about that question, but like say that the no-kill shelter doesn’t have any room, but you still have some dogs, a dog, to get rid of. Would you drop them off at the no-kill shelter anyway? Or would you drive to the next no-kill shelter where they’re not full even though it’s a 100 miles away?”

 

The entire time Kyungsoo’s trying to present his problem as a hypothetical situation, Sehun’s staring at him like he’s insane until something occurs to him and he gives that cocky, little smirk he likes to give investors when he’s feeling particularly victorious.

 

“O my sweet, older brother, did you find a dog and take him in?”

 

Kyungsoo ignores Sehun and his smirk. “What do I do, Sehun? What do I do?”

 

“Is keeping him not a option?”

 

“No. First of all there’s two, a black one and a gray one, and I work everyday until late. And I don’t want them.”

 

Sehun waves a hand dismissively, “Everybody wants a dog. But the other two points are good. Umm, I wouldn’t drop the dogs off if the place is full. A lot of no-kill shelters, if they’re so overcapacity, will just let the dogs go out onto the street. It happens a lot since so many people do just drop them off like you’re suggesting. And honestly they’ll just be in a cage for a long time which is also a terrible thing to put a dog through.”

 

Kyungsoo understands what Sehun’s saying, but he doesn’t like it. “You don’t want me to drop them off at all.” It comes out like an accusation because it is. Sehun has no real sense of responsibility and doesn’t understand that Kyungsoo doesn’t want the dogs.

 

Sehun, seeing the steam coming from his brother’s ears, holds up a placating hand. “I’m saying there are other, better options than the shelter. Advertise that you’re giving them away or something. What kind of dogs are they?”

 

“Poodles?”

 

Sehun is just as confused as Kyungsoo that ‘poodles’ came out as a question, but he moves on. “Okay, what kind of poodles?”

 

“There are kinds?”

 

Sehun nods. “ Yeah, it’s based on size, so how big are they?”

 

Kyungsoo cautiously holds up his hands to try and estimate the black one. He finally holds his hands still at about a foot apart, but grimaces to show that he’s very uncertain. Sehun nods. “Okay, I’d say he’s a toy poodle. That’s actually probably teacup range.”

 

Kyungsoo widens his arms to about a foot and a half, still grimacing. Sehun narrows his eyes, “Uh, he’s either a big toy poodle or a small miniature, but point is they’re both small. You can probably easily get a family to take both of them. They’re good family dogs. It’ll take a little bit longer to get them settled with a family, but I think it’s the best option if you’re going to get rid of them. You could speed up the process if you were willing to separate them.”

          

Kyungsoo thinks about it. He’s had the dogs for less than 12 hours, but he thinks that the black one and the gray one are pretty good friends. They probably don’t want to be separated. Kyungsoo doesn’t know how much longer it will take to get them both situated, but since he’s already decided to wait, he can wait a little longer. He can just cut down on his own expenses so he can pay for Jongin.

 

“They’re friends. I don’t want to separate them.”

 

Sehun regards him for a moment before replying. “Okay. Umm, since you’re so busy, let me do all the work for the dogs. I’ll find a good home for them. You just focus on the investors meeting.”

 

Kyungsoo allows himself to smile, “Thank you, Sehun.” His shoulders feel physically lighter. He was much more stressed about the dogs than he thought.

 

“No problem, bro. I’m here to help. By the way, who’s watching the dogs while you’re here? You didn’t just leave them by themselves did you?”

 

Kyungsoo leans heavily against the desk. “No. I hired this guy, Jongin, to watch them.”

 

Kyungsoo’s startled by the honking laugh that escapes Sehun, “Kim Jongin? Are you serious? Oh man, that’s rich.”

 

“What? Why? What’s wrong with him?” Did Kyungsoo leave those dogs with a psychopath?

 

Sehun shakes his head still laughing, “No, no he’s great. He’s going to treat those dogs like they’re his own children. He’s Vivi’s sitter too. I just think it’s so funny. But I’m really surprised he let you go without learning the dogs’ name. He’s such a stickler for treating them like people.”

 

Kyungsoo must take too long in answering because Sehun laughs again, “He didn’t. He made you name them and you still have the gall to not call them by their names. What are their names?”

 

Kyungsoo doesn’t really want to tell Sehun their names because he’s going to laugh at him. Sehun just grows more and more amused the longer the silence goes on. “Come on, bro, what are their names?”

 

Quietly, so, so quietly that it’s almost unheard, Kyungsoo says, “Pepper and Ink.”

 

Kyungsoo’s not surprised when Sehun starts laughing again. “You named them after the color of their coats? Are you kidding me? You want to venture into video games and your creativity for naming the dogs only extended to the color of their coats?”

 

Kyungsoo sighs. He’s not in the mood to be heckled right now. “Sehun, I’m busy.”

 

“Yeah, yeah, yeah of course. You’ve got to up that creativity before the investors meeting. Here’s a tip. Don’t tell them your dogs’ name.” Sehun’s own (bad) joke sets him off into more peals of laughter.

 

“Get out, Sehun!”

 

Sehun steps out of the doorframe and holds his hand out, face carefully screwed into faux consideration, “Yeah, yeah of course. You’re so busy, but when you get home tonight, say hello to Ink and Pepper for me.”

 

Sehun’s laughter rings long in Kyungsoo’s ears after he’s gone.


	2. Chapter 2

When Kyungsoo manages to make it back to his apartment sometime after 3am, he’s completely forgotten about his two little visitors. But they have not forgotten about him. They’re both jumping up on him the moment he walks in. And yipping, yipping so loudly this late at night.

 

“Shh, shh, shh, yeah, I’m home, I’m home. It’s okay, okay. Please stop barking.” He herds them back into the apartment. Both dogs try vainly to keep jumping up on him while simultaneously walking backwards. Kyungsoo ends up scooping the black one into the crook of his arm when it takes too long to get them back in. He wriggles while Kyungsoo nudges the gray back into the apartment.

 

“Come on, come on, come on.”

 

Finally, they’re all in the apartment with the door closed, and Kyungsoo drops the black one down only to trip over a big bag of dog food in the next step. He faceplants on the floor and he’s just so tired that he lets himself lie there, ignoring the stinging pain in his palms and knees. What if he just lies here for the rest of the night? His throat and head are killing him and he’s got to be up in less than two hours anyway. Really he’d be wasting precious time by moving to the bed.

 

Kyungsoo’s so close to just lying here until his alarm goes off, but both the dogs think that since Kyungsoo is on the floor, it’s playtime. Kyungsoo groans when one of them starts licking at his face, and then the second one starts joining in.

 

“No, no, no, stop, stop, stop.” Kyungsoo pushes himself off of the floor and out of licking range. He puts both hands on his little charges and looks around his apartment. There’s a streetlight right outside his window that dimly illuminates the room. Just by looking around, he can tell Jongin’s bought a lot, much more than he thought he would need for two dogs. He gets up with a groan. His knees have suffered so much these past two days.

 

With the light flipped on, the number of things Jongin’s seemed to buy has multiplied. There are dog beds, pee pads, dog food, dog bowls, toys, poop bags, leashes and harnesses. Kyungsoo needs to have a talk with Jongin on what counts as important. The dogs won’t be here that long.

 

A glance at the counter shows that Jongin’s left him a hand-written note. Kyungsoo hasn’t seen such terrible handwriting since he had to fire that kid his dad called a secretary.

 

_Dear Mr. Do,_

_The three of us had a great day! Ink and Pepper had to go to the bathroom right after you left, but you didn’t have leashes for them so I took them to the little enclosure at the back of your building and let them run around for a bit. When Baekhyun opened the store, I ran down and grabbed the items you see around you. I know it seems like there’s a lot, but since Ink and Pepper are going to be home alone a lot because you work so much, I bought them toys to keep them occupied. They seem to really like them so far. We took the ropes and the chew toys to the park and they had fun running around. Pepper made new friends with another poodle and pug, but Ink didn’t like to venture too far. He’s very playful, but only with those he likes._

_It’s almost 11pm, so I’m about to leave. I’ve set out fresh food and water for them and I’ve laid down some pee pads. Depending on when you get home, I’d take them out to go to the bathroom again. The harnesses look hard to put on, but it’s easy if you remember that it buckles at the top._

_I have another dog to sit tomorrow, but another one of my employees, Kim Minseok, is visiting tomorrow. I’ve already informed him of what’s expected, but he’ll be there at 5:30am so if you’ve thought of anything new, you can tell him then._

_Sincerely,_

_Kim Jongin_ _☺_

_P.S. Chanyeol says hello and to remind you that the dogs need to be vaccinated by Sunday._

_P.P.S. If you want, you can make an account with my website and pay the service through there._

Kyungsoo glares down at the dogs, who are smiling up at him, tails wagging. When they make eye contact, the gray one lifts up onto his hind legs and stretches up Kyungsoo’s leg. Kyungsoo barely lets the gray one touch him before he takes a step back. He can’t deal with the dogs right now. He can’t do anything right now.

 

Kyungsoo flicks off the light again and drags his feet over to his mattress. Looks like he’s sleeping in his suit again. He feels the mattress dip slightly. He opens one eye. There they are, the dogs, walking around in circles to settle themselves to sleep on the mattress.

 

“He got you beds!”

 

The dogs don’t stop their movements. Kyungsoo waits like they might pay attention to him, but when it becomes obvious they aren’t going to, he turns over to face the wall.

 

“Stay on your side.”

 

 

 

 

 

Minseok doesn’t look remotely related to Jongin. He’s short and stocky and looks like he’d be more comfortable as a trainer than a dog sitter. But his smile is cheerful and he looks amazingly awake for 5:30 in the morning.

 

“Good morning, Mr. Do! My name is Kim Minseok,” A hand shoots out energetically. Kyungsoo shakes it slowly. Everything about him hurts. Added onto the sore throat is now a splitting headache and full body aches.

 

“It’s nice to meet you. Please come in, the dogs are scratching at the back of my legs dying to meet you.” Kyungsoo steps back to let Minseok in. He ignores the concerned look that Minseok throws him and gestures to the two little demons.

 

“These are… Ink and Pepper,” Kyungsoo can’t believe he forgot their names.

 

Minseok drops down to a squat and holds his hands out to the dogs. The gray one leaps into Minseok’s open arms and wriggles around happily, but the black one stays back and presses his side against Kyungsoo’s ankle. Kyungsoo must make a confused noise because Minseok starts talking.

 

“It looks like Ink’s calmed down now. It’s very common for dogs to act out if they’re scared or nervous, so Ink was probably looking for any comfort he could find. I’m guessing he feels more settled since he’s claimed you as his owner.”

 

Kyungsoo blows right past that. “Great. I need you to take them to the vet and get them vaccinated.”

 

Minseok doesn’t stop petting the gray one when he shakes his head. “I can’t do that. If this wasn’t the first visit, I probably could. But since it is the first one, the owner is going to need to go in.”

 

“But I’m not the owner!” Kyungsoo practically yells before his throat seizes and he falls into a coughing fit.

 

Minseok just raises an eyebrow at Kyungsoo while Kyungsoo tries to bring himself back under control. When he’s mostly done coughing, Minseok starts talking again, “Temporary owner then. The dogs need to be vaccinated. You’ll need to take them in yourself. Also are you sure you should be going into work today? You look and sound very sick.”

 

“I don’t have a choice, “ Kyungsoo rasps out. “But alright, I’ll take them later today. Can you recommend me a vet?”

 

Minseok stands up, wipes his hands across his pants, and pulls out his wallet. “Yeah, I’ve actually got the business card here. His name’s Dr. Zhang and he’s the vet for a lot of dogs we sit. My roommate’s his assistant and he’s also one of the emergency sitters. This is the card for Dr. Zhang. I’ll text my roommate to make sure you get in today.”

 

Kyungsoo takes the card gratefully. “Thanks, I’ll call when the office opens. Also Jongin might have told you, but I work late, so if you can stay till 11, I’d be grateful. I’ll pay you for your time.”

 

Minseok smiles softly at him, “Yeah of course.”

 

 

 

 

Kyungsoo spends a productive morning with the investors. They’re willing to come back in two days to hammer out a contract with him, and it’s while he’s riding this high that he makes the vet appointment for 3pm that afternoon. He can take the dogs in, be back before everyone’s left and then he can keep working. A quick text to Minseok allows for Kyungsoo to meet him and the dogs at the vet. That high from the investors’ meeting goes a long way. Kyungsoo almost thinks that the dogs look cute when they strain against their harnesses to try and greet him when he gets in. Minseok waves at him as he wrangles the dogs back near him.

 

“Hello Mr. Do,” greets a man nearly the same height as Kyungsoo with a Cheshire grin and matching cat-like eyes. _How fitting for a vet’s office_ , Kyungsoo thinks amusedly as the man continues to introduce himself as Jongdae, one of the veterinary assistants and that he’s heard a lot about Kyungsoo. Kyungsoo feels his smile drop a little. What’s that supposed to mean?

 

“If you just follow me, I’ll take you to a room where Dr. Zhang will join us shortly.”

 

Luckily Minseok just follows behind them with the dogs. Kyungsoo’s not really sure what dogsitters are supposed to do, but he’s pretty sure that Minseok’s going above the call of duty by accompanying him to a vet appointment. Kyungsoo should pay him more.

 

The room is prevalent with the smell of cleaner and overly bright light. Jongdae lowers a floating counter from the wall and pats it. “We need to weigh these two beauties. Who’s first?”

 

Kyungsoo looks down at his two little demons. Those beady little eyes stare back up at him. He points to the gray one. “This one.”

 

“Pepper,” Minseok supplies as he leans down and unclips the leash from the harness. “Pepper,” Kyungsoo repeats.

 

The gray one squirms in Minseok’s arms as he lifts him up on the table. Jongdae removes a small scale from one of the cabinets lining the back wall and places it on the table. The gray one squirms even more while Jongdae holds him on the scale. Jongdae coos at him while he holds him on the scale.

 

“You’re such a good boy, Pepper. It’s just a few more seconds. You’re doing so well, and your coats so beautiful. Look at these gorgeous little curls. Aren’t you so handsome?” The gray one pants, squirming a little less at Jongdae’s words. The scale flashes with a number.

 

“15 pounds. That’s right in range. That’s so good, Pepper.” Jongdae hands the dog back to Kyungsoo. Gingerly, Kyungsoo takes him and, holding him at arm’s length, hands him over to Minseok, who dutifully clips the leash back to the harness. He unclips the leash from the black one. “Ink,” he says, handing the dog to Jongdae.

 

“Hello Ink, you’re so tiny. I know, I know, it’s not fun, but you just saw your brother do it. It’ll be fine. Oh! Your coat’s also so soft. That’s it, you’re doing so good. That wasn’t so hard. You’re so good. 8 pounds.” Jongdae hands the dog back. Kyungsoo passes the dog back to Minseok.

 

Jongdae scribbles the weight down. When he’s done, he smiles broadly back up at Kyungsoo, “Alright, Dr. Zhang will be here in a minute.” He leaves through a door in the back.

 

When left alone, Kyungsoo turns back to Minseok. “How were they this morning?”

 

Minseok smiles, obviously happy that Kyungsoo cares a little for the dogs. Kyungsoo dismisses the smile as he waits for the answer.

 

“They did good. They’re both a little subdued when you’re not around, but they had fun at the dog park this morning. Jongin bought them some rope and they both enjoyed playing with it. Ink’s mouth is too small to properly bite it so Pepper always won, but I don’t think Ink minded.”

 

Against his better judgment, Kyungsoo finds himself smiling at the story, but it drops when he hears the door opening. He whirls around.

 

Kyungsoo’s never really understood what the phrase “skin as smooth as porcelain” means, but he figures the man before him is the reason it exists. Aside from his dimpled smile, this man has the smoothest skin Kyungsoo’s ever seen.

 

The porcelain man extends a gloved hand. “Hello, I’m Dr. Zhang. I’ve heard a lot about you and your dogs.

 

Kyungsoo just resigns himself to the fact that there’s some kind of doggy-network and everyone knows about him and his dogs.

 

“Yes, they’re quite the little superstars,” Kyungsoo finds himself responding. He glances down at the dogs, their tails wagging when they see that they’ve got his attention.

 

Dr. Zhang looks down and lets out a small gasp of awe. He bends down and begins petting the dogs. “Look at you little cuties. You’re so precious. Are you here to get your vaccinations today? Yes, you are. I promise that they don’t hurt. They just look scary, but that doesn’t bother you. You two are brave little boys. Yes, you are, yes, you are.”

 

Kyungsoo wishes people would stop baby-talking his dogs.

 

“Are there a lot of vaccinations?” Kyungsoo asks to stop this disgusting display of affection before him.

 

Dr. Zhang straightens up and shakes his head. “We’re just going to do the requisite ones, so that’s only four. It should only take a few minutes depending on how much these little rascals wriggle.”

 

The “little rascals” wriggle a lot, and it take both Kyungsoo and Jongdae to hold down each dog while Minseok oscillates between the two, whispering to and coddling whoever he’s holding.

 

When both dogs are vaccinated and securely attached to their leashes, Dr. Zhang removes his gloves and pulls out a business card. He hands it to Kyungsoo. Kyungsoo takes it, confused.

 

“This is my card,” Dr. Zhang explain, “call me if there are any problems. And since you’re a new dog owner, I advise you come to the park on Saturday at around 10. I hold a playgroup for small dogs at that time. It’s a good way for the dogs to make friends and owners to meet up. Knowing other dog owners can be beneficial. They’ll give you advice.”

 

Kyungsoo nods, already decided that he will not be doing that. Saturday is a prime work day. He can’t give that day up for the dogs, not when he’s so close to achieving his project. In fact, he should probably get back to the office soon. He needs to start drawing up a contract.

 

Eager to get out, Kyungsoo leaves his credit card information at the front desk and lets Minseok handle everything. In the back of his mind, he feels a small twinge of regret for leaving the dogs, but he pushes it aside. There’s more work to be done.

 

 

 

 

 

Kyungsoo falls into his apartment at 2. He’s been feeling shitty all week but it really only occurred to him that he was sick when he vomited in the mens’ toilet sometime around 7. He felt sore and clammy, but he couldn’t go home yet. The contract needed to be drafted before he left for work, so he threw down a few fever reducers and kept working. The last thing he did before closing things out was to send a copy of the contract to Sehun for editing. Kyungsoo tried his best, but the last page was a blur for him.

 

It doesn’t immediately bother Kyungsoo that his lights are on even though he knows they should be turned off. He didn’t specify it to Jongin or Minseok, but it’s basic courtesy.

 

“Sick, you’re back.”

 

Hearing a voice is the last thing Kyungsoo expected, and so he flails accordingly before being able to discern that Minseok and the dogs are on the couch watching some nature documentary. Kyungsoo blinks blearily at them. Why are they on the couch?

 

Both of the dogs jump down from the couch to clack their way over and start stretching up his leg. Kyungsoo’s not well enough to even fathom bending over to pet them. Vaguely, he notices that Minseok’s gotten up off of the couch.

 

“Sick, you’re sick.”

 

Kyungsoo holds back a cough. He’s only a little sick. If he can just sleep for a couple of hours, he’ll be better.

 

“Why are you still here?” Kyungsoo asks in lieu of a proper reply.

 

“I wanted to see how late you work, so we can adjust the schedule accordingly. The dogs shouldn’t be left alone for more than a couple of hours. Is there anything I can do to help you? You look pretty bad.”

 

Kyungsoo waves a hand. “No, I’ll go to bed and be fine in the morning. Thank you for staying with the dogs. Will you be coming tomorrow or will it be Jongin?”

 

Minseok still looks concerned, but he stops voicing it. “Jongin’s going to switch out with me mid-morning. I’ve got class in the afternoon.”

 

Kyungsoo nods. “Great, well I will see you at 5:30 then.” The absurdity of having to see Minseok in two hours isn’t lost on Kyungsoo, but it’s really Minseok’s fault that he stayed until Kyungsoo got home.

 

“Right, right, see you then, Mr. Do. Hope you feel better.”

 

When the door closes behind Minseok, Kyungsoo flick off the light and breathes a sight of relief at the darkness. It was too bright, and his poor eyes can’t take it.

 

The dogs are still at his feet, waiting to be acknowledged and pet. Kyungsoo bends down and swipes at both of their heads. That’s all he can do right now. The dogs appreciate the gesture. He can hears their tails wagging. With laborious slowness, he sheds his suit and walks the few feet to the mattress in the corner to collapse heavily on it. His eyes close almost involuntarily. He’s so tired.

 

The mattress dips again as both dogs go to huddle against his side. Kyungsoo can’t even find it in himself to reprimand them.

 

 

 

 

 

When Kyungsoo wakes up, he’s blind. It’s completely black and his alarm is going off which means the gray one’s barking and he’s blind. He touches his eyes, groaning at the small movement, and feels crust on his eyes. He hastily wipes it away and looks around. It’s completely black still. The sun hasn’t even begun to peak over the horizon. His phone is facedown, vibrating and shrieking for all it’s worth. And, again, it’s in the gray one’s mouth.

 

“Why do you do this?” Kyungsoo asks, wrestling the phone away from the dog. _Whoom, whom_ goes the gray one’s tail.

 

A quick tap and the alarm’s off. A bright, white 5:02 shining up at him. Kyungsoo groans. He feels like death. He manages to make it to the shower, but he doesn’t have the strength to stand, so he sits on the ground under the water and cleans himself. After the shower, it’s completely impossible for Kyungsoo to even try and style his hair. He’ll let it fall as it may and only let Sehun into his office today.

 

At 5:30 on the dot, Minseok knocks on the door, but Kyungsoo’s only half-dressed. He had spent 15 minutes on the floor trying to put on his slacks while his dogs jumped on top of him. “No, no, no stop. The door. We need to open the door,” he rasps out.

 

Completely ignorant the his pants are unzipped and he’s only wearing an undershirt, Kyungsoo hobbles over to the door, eye puffed shut more than clenched shut and opens the door. Minseok stands there smiling sunnily. Kyungsoo groans but opens the door wider.

 

“Good Morning, Mr. Do!”

 

Kyungsoo grunts in response and turns around to try and find his suit jacket now that the dogs are suitably distracted. With stifled moaning and groaning he makes his way to the chair by the bookshelf where he keeps his chair of somewhat clean clothing. Victoriously, he pulls his suit jacket from the top and struggles to put it on. He hears a cough from behind him. Minseok is watching him; a dog nestled in the crook of each elbow. They all stare at him with unblinking eyes.

 

“Can I help you?” Kyungsoo croaks out.

 

“What are you doing?”

 

What is he doing? He’s going to work like he’s done every day of his fucking adult life. “Getting ready for work.”

 

“You’re sick.”

 

His entire body throbs at the statement. Yes, he is sick, but since he never leaves his office, it doesn’t matter if he goes into work. The only one with the risk of getting infected is Sehun and with the way Sehun’s been treating him lately, Kyungsoo’s not so sure he minds getting him sick.

 

“And going into work.”

 

“You can’t go into work,” Minseok argues. The gray one whines at Kyungsoo and wags his tail as if agreeing that Kyungsoo shouldn’t go into work. Kyungsoo scowls. What does the gray one know anyway?

 

“I have to go into work.”

 

“You can’t. You’re obviously super sick. If you go in, you’ll just make it worse for yourself.”

 

“I have to go into work.” Kyungsoo repeats. His entire job is constantly on the line because of his father’s greed. He needs to prove that he’s better than him.

 

“You can’t,” Minseok repeats slowly like he’s some stupid child. Kyungsoo can feel himself get angry. Who the fuck is Minseok to tell him what to do?

 

“Well, I am.”

 

“Mr. Do, I’m not letting you out of this house. You need to rest. I’m sure your company can handle being without you for one day.” This time it’s the black one who whines.

 

“Minseok, this is really out of line.”

 

“Oh completely, that’s why I called Sehun yesterday to tell him that your sick, and he agreed with me. You need to stay home.”

 

Kyungsoo can’t stop his jaw from dropping. This is the epitome of insubordination. How dare Minseok? How did he even get Sehun’s number? It’s got to be the fucking doggy-network.

 

Seeing the look on Kyungsoo’s face, Minseok hastily tacks on, “Sehun said that if you don’t rest now, you’ll miss the investor’s meeting tomorrow.”

 

It’s a good point. That investors’ meeting is going to make or break his career. If he can get the investors to sign on then he’ll have proved that he’s a suitable chairman and be able to keep the company within the family.

 

“Okay.”

 

Minseok smiles brightly. Kyungsoo doesn’t know why. It’s 5:30 in the morning and he really shouldn’t have any stake in Kyungsoo’s wellbeing.

 

“Great! You should get back into bed and sleep. I’ll take the dogs out to go to the bathroom and stretch their legs.”

 

Now that the plan’s been decided, Kyungsoo can feel his body shutting down. He nods and trundles back over to his mattress and flops face first. He’s out in seconds.

 

 

 

 

 

Everything’s a blur when Kyungsoo finally surfaces. His eyes have crusted over a little bit so he’s able to see bits and pieces of his room. Why’s it so dark? And why can’t he move? There’s so much weight on his chest.

 

He scrubs his eyes open and in the dim lighting of the apartment he sees not one, but two dogs lying on his chest. He sighs heavily. It’s a wonder he didn’t suffocate in his sleep. He wiggles his body to try and get them off, but they continue to sleep unperturbed. Kyungsoo sighs again. He doesn’t really have enough energy to try and do something more drastic to get them off, so he lets it go and closes his eyes. If he was able to sleep with them on him, he can fall asleep with them on him.

 

 

 

 

 

The next time he wakes up is because he hears the door opening. The dogs leap up and start barking when Jongin comes in view. Kyungsoo groans and pulls the covers over his head, which dislocates the dogs prompting them to run off and meet Jongin. Kyungsoo groans as the little dog paws dig into his stomach in their eagerness to get off.

 

“Hey guys! Are you glad to see me again? Cause I’m glad to see you, yes, I am.” Jongin crowds the dogs up in his arms and laughs as they lick at his face. “Mr. Do, Sehun texted me that you were sick, so I brought over my cousin. He’s a doctor.”

 

Kyungsoo lowers the comforter to just below his eyes. “I don’t need a doctor. I already know that I’m sick.”

 

“Yes, but I’ll tell you how you’re sick,” says another voice. It sounds condescending and Kyungsoo’s already angry. He pulls the covers up over his face again. He’s sick. He shouldn’t have to deal with people.

 

“Mr. Do, I’m going to take Pepper and Ink down to use the bathroom and maybe play fetch. Junmyeon here will do all of the doctor things.” If Jongin’s waiting for an answer, Kyungsoo’s not going to reply. Eventually, though, he does hear the door close and the dogs yapping getting fainter. The doctor, Junmyeon, must also have been waiting for Jongin to leave because shortly after Jongin’s gone, Kyungsoo hears footsteps approaching his mattress.

 

Kyungsoo lowers the blanket again, and ascertains that, yes, the doctor is standing in front of his mattress. “How much can I pay you to go away?”

 

“Not as much as your brother is paying me to make sure you’re well,” Junmyeon replies. Kyungsoo curses under his breath. Of course Sehun knows the condescending doctor.

 

Kyungsoo throws the covers down. “Let’s get this over with then.”

 

Junmyeon works quickly and methodically. Kyungsoo has his temperature,  ears, eyes, and mouth checked all for Junmyeon to say, “You’re sick.”

 

Kyungsoo would roll his eyes if it didn’t hurt so much.

 

Junmyeon continues on, “I’m going to prescribe some antibiotics that Sehun can pick up after work. Since he works normal hours, I bet he’ll get them to you no later than 7. Make sure to take 2 every 12 hours.”

 

Kyungsoo pulls the covers over his face. He hates taking medicine, but he needs to go to that investors meeting tomorrow. “Got it, I’ll take them every 12 hours. Any other instructions?” His voice is muffled through the blanket.

 

“Drink lots of water and sleep. Chanyeol knows to let Sehun up. Minseok will come over later tonight to let the dogs out again, and Baekhyun says if the dogs need anything, he can deliver it after the store closes tonight.”

 

Kyungsoo considers lowering the blanket again because that’s really nice of everyone to look after him and the dogs, but he’s already lowered and lifted it so much, it’d be weird to do it again. So he leaves the cover up and stews beneath it. Finally he’s able to mutter, “thank you.”

 

“It’s a lot of work to take care of dogs especially when you’re busy. It’s even harder to take care of dogs when you don’t really want them. But it was really kind of you to not take them to the pound, and we all see that. Plus no one should be alone when they’re sick.”

 

Kyungsoo doesn’t say anything. He just really wants Junmyeon to leave. This is too touchy-feely for him right now.

 

Junmyeon must be waiting for some kind of reply, but when Kyungsoo doesn’t give it to him. He repeats his instructions and takes his leave. Kyungsoo doesn’t lower the blanket until Jongin comes back in with the dogs. Happily, the dogs run over to Kyungsoo’s mattress and settle in against him. The black one tries to nose in under the blanket, but Kyungsoo shuts that down. No dogs will be allowed under the blanket.

 

“Pepper and Ink both pooped, so you don’t have to worry about that and they both got a good workout running after some squirrels. They should be good until Minseok gets here tonight. How are you, Mr. Do?”

 

This time Kyungsoo lowers the blanket so Jongin can see his obviously feverish face and swollen eyes. Jongin nods. “Right, right, very sick. Well, I’m about to head out. Is there anything else I can get you?”

 

“No, thank you. Thanks for—,” Kyungsoo starts but then considers that since Minseok wasn’t here all day with the dogs they might be out of water. Just because he’s suffering doesn’t mean the dogs have to. “Can you check the dogs’ water?”

 

Jongin smiles happily. “They’re all full, Mr. Do. Food too.”

 

“Oh, okay. Well, then that’s all.”

 

“Alright, see you tomorrow, Mr. Do. I’ll be here at 7am.”

 

Kyungsoo just nods. He’s getting tired again.

 

 

 

 

 

It’s dark when Kyungsoo wakes up. He checks his phone. It’s 3am. He unlocks it and runs through his text messages and checks his email. There’s surprisingly few of both considering that he’s taken his first sick day in 6 years. There’s an email from Sehun about the contract, and one from his secretary about the meeting tomorrow, but that’s it. There’s a text from Sehun about how he dropped off the antibiotics and that there’s yogurt in the fridge that he should eat before he takes them. Then a text from Sehun’s wife offering to come over and cook for him. Kyungsoo responds negatively to that one. He doesn’t want to accidentally transfer the sickness to his niece. The last text is a text from his mother asking how he is.

 

Kyungsoo ignores responding to his mother in favor of reading the revised contract. He still feels like death, but the meeting is in 7 hours and he needs to make sure it’s okay. The contract reads well and it covers everything they discussed in the meeting. It’s with a wince that Kyungsoo sees that most of the revisions are on the last page. He really was out of it. He sends off a quick email telling Sehun that it’s good and that he’ll meet Sehun at 9 to go over some last minute details.

 

Now with all of the work stuff out of the way, he rolls off the bed with a groan. Only remembering after the fact that he has two little demons for bedmates and thanks whatever god is out there that they’re curled up around each other at the end of the bed. It’s kind of cute.

 

The antibiotics are on the kitchen counter with a glass of water. It’s with a creak and a muffled groan that he opens the fridge and eats the yogurt. It’s too cold and he just hopes that he won’t throw it up. The antibiotics are shot down with a gulp of water that Kyungsoo’s grateful for. He’s thirstier than he thought. He finishes the glass, fills it up again and starts to go back to his bed when he his foot knocks against the dogs’ food bowl. He briefly considers just letting it go till morning, but he has no idea when they last ate. What if they’re hungry?

 

The food bag is directly behind the bowl, so Kyungsoo picks up the bowl and opens the bag, crinkling it loudly. In a flash, both dogs are up and pawing at his legs. Kyungsoo barks out a laugh. They were dead asleep when he got up. He scoops the bowl into the bag and pushes the dogs back with his foot before putting the bowl down. When he removes his foot, the dogs rush to eat. Kyungsoo watches them eat for a bit before he’s hit with another wave of drowsiness.

 

He shuffles back to bed, sets his alarm for 7am and falls back asleep.

 

 

 

 

 

The smell of coffee accompanies his alarm as well as Sehun sitting in his armchair flanked on each side by Kyungsoo’s dogs.

 

“Good morning, Brother Dearest. Why did you set an alarm? Were you perhaps planning on going somewhere despite being extremely sick?”

 

Kyungsoo doesn’t respond. Sehun’s a dramatic bastard, so this is building up to something. The dogs also seem to be in an equally dramatic mood. They stare him down from their lofty perch. Those traitors. They’re supposed to be on his side.

 

“Were you perhaps wanting to make everyone at this office meeting extremely sick because you are a stubborn fool?”

 

There it is.

 

“I need to be there, Sehun. This is my project. The investors need to see me. I’ll wear a mask.” Kyungsoo knows he sounds whiny, but he’s desperate here. He’s in no condition to fight off his brother, so he’ll have to try and persuade him.

 

“Germs don’t care about your fucking mask. Kyung, you can’t go in. You’re way too sick. Just let me handle the meeting. The investors will understand. You and I have been working on this for months. I know what to do.”

 

“I have to go in, Sehun. I need to prove—,”

 

Sehun nods impatiently. “Yes, yes, you need to prove to the board you’re nothing like Daddy Dearest. No one thinks that. No one ever thought it. You’re so much different from Dad. You think they’re just being snide when they compliment you in the meetings, but they’re not. You genuinely have their trust. The company’s stocks are up for the first time since Dad’s arrest. You’re doing fine.”

 

Logically, Kyungsoo gets it, but emotionally, it’s a lie. He doesn’t have the board’s trust. Why should he? He’s the son of a man who cheated the company.

 

“You’re freaking out,” Sehun comments, “and it can’t be helping that you still have a fever. So I’ll make the executive decision. You’re not going to work. I told Jongin not to come this morning, but he’ll be back at 3. I told him to text me if you’re not here.”

 

Kyungsoo scowls and turns his back on his brother only to be pounced upon by two dogs. Kyungsoo hides under the covers as they continue to paw at him.

 

“Dogs don’t like it when they think you’re mad at them. By the way, I’ve got to say they’re super cute and friendly. I’m glad they’re keeping you company while you’re sick.”

 

Kyungsoo peeks out an eye to glare at his dogs. “Get off.” Pepper just responds with a small yap and a lick on Kyungsoo’s forehead. Kyungsoo scowls again. “Stop that.”

 

Sehun laughs, “Well I’ve got to go. Investors’ meeting and all that. I’ll text you when it’s done, yeah?” Kyungsoo doesn’t respond in part because he’s sulking, but also because he needs to fend off Ink, who’s trying to jump on his head, and Pepper, who’s definitely egging on his brother.

 

“Yeah,” Sehun responds to his own question. “See you later, brother.”

 

 

 

 

After Sehun leaves, Kyungsoo had tried to fall asleep again, but it was a useless endeavor. So he lies there for what feels like hours trying to ignore how Pepper’s fallen asleep on his foot and Ink is draped awkwardly over his left arm. It’s uncomfortable, but he doesn’t want to wake them up.

 

It’s maybe around the third time he’s tried to count how many books are on his shelf before he grows annoyed with himself and just lets his hand flop down carelessly. Right onto Ink’s back. Ink squirms violently and starts barking which tells Pepper that it’s time to start barking. And when they both start barking, they decide that they need to run over and check on Kyungsoo.

 

“Shh, shh, shh, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, Ink. I didn’t mean to. I’m sorry,” Kyungsoo apologizes, making sure to give both dogs long, sweeping pets to get them to calm down. Eventually the dogs quiet down and just sit there while Kyungsoo continues to pet them. Their fur’s so soft.

 

Kyungsoo continues to pet them, while the dogs pant happily. Here, in the privacy of his own home, Kyungsoo can admit that the dogs are cute. Adorable if he’s being honest, but he really can’t afford to keep dogs. He works terrible hours and the dogs wouldn’t get the attention they need and eventually all this dogsitting is going add up and deplete his bank account. It’s just not feasible. So he can enjoy them for now, but he can’t keep them.

 

 

 

 

 

Kyungsoo’s not sure when he fell back asleep, but when he wakes up again, the sun’s just beginning to set. Both of the dogs are curled up on his feet. There’s one notification on his phone.

 

**From: Do Sehun**

_The contract was signed. JSD is ready to produce its first video game._

 

Kyungsoo can’t stop the blinding smile that grows on his face after his sigh of relief. They did it.

 

 

 

 

 

Overall, Kyungsoo is sick for two more days. On Saturday, he gets up at a reasonable hour and considers going into work to see how everything’s going. Sehun had assured him that everything was in order, but Kyungsoo feels kind of obligated. It is his project after all. But first he really needs to clean up his room. It’s a mess of dog toys and clothes. It’s actually pretty messy. Too messy. It might take him a few hours to fully clean the space. On second thought, he can just pick up all the clothes and put them on the chair. That’ll be quicker.

 

In his gray suit jacket, he finds Dr. Zhang’s business card, and remembers what the man told him. There’s a dog owners meeting today in the park at 10am specifically for small dogs. Kyungsoo flips the card over in his hands before checking the clock: 9:47. He has time to get there if he wants to, and the dogs haven’t gone out today except to use the bathroom. They could probably use the exercise, and Sehun said everything was in order. Also no one’s going to be in the office today, so who’s going to know if he checks the work today or tomorrow? No one is. Not even Sehun will know.

 

And it’s with Kyungsoo being comforted by the fact that Sehun won’t know, that he decides he can take the dogs to the park. The dogs perfectly docile while Kyungsoo had been picking things up, go crazy when they see him pick up the leashes and harnesses. This does nothing to help Kyungsoo who already has trouble figuring out how the harnesses go on, but eventually he remembers that Jongin said that it buckles on top. With both dogs sufficiently leashed, Kyungsoo’s ready to go.

 

The dogs are well-behaved inside the apartment building, but it’s a different story once they’re outside. Pepper goes left and Ink goes right. It takes Kyungsoo more seconds than he would like to admit before realizing that he hadn’t set the leashes, so the dogs have yards of length to run as far as their little hearts desire.

 

“Pepper! Ink! Come here!” Kyungsoo tries to keep his voice light and excited like he’s seen everyone with his dogs do, but it doesn’t work. They keep running. Kyungsoo kneels down and tries again. “Pepper! Ink!”

 

Pepper responds first when he see Kyungsoo down at eye level. He comes running back and takes a flying leap into Kyungsoo’s arms. Kyungsoo tries to hold him closely to his body to minimize the wiggling and the licking. It’s not very effective.

 

Ink, seeing his brother cuddling with Kyungsoo, comes charging back and starts pawing at Kyungsoo’s knee, body vibrating with his need to be in Kyungsoo’s arms. Kyungsoo gives Ink a small pat before letting go of Pepper and finally retracting the leashes to a reasonable length.

 

Now that everything’s in order, they can walk to the park. Pepper and Ink try multiple times to sniff out their surroundings, but since they’re both 10 pounds wet, he has no problem getting them back on track. Once the dogs realize where they’re going, though, they strain against the leashes until they get there.

 

Minseok is the first one to notice him and jogs over with a small brown poodle in his hands. “Hey, you made it. We were all wondering if you would come.”

 

Kyungsoo’s wary. “What do you mean ‘all’?” Who knows that he’s going to a doggy support group?

 

“Pretty much everyone you’ve met this week. Baekhyun and Chanyeol have their dogs, Toben and Mongryong, Jongin’s got Monggu, Jjangah, and Jjanggu who I have here. Junmyeon has a dog named Byul. Yixing and Jongdae just help run the group, and who am I missing? Oh! Right! Sehun’s here with Vivi.”

 

“Sehun’s here?”

 

“Yeah, says it’s Vivi’s favorite part of the week,” Minseok replies, completely unaware of the internal conflict going on within Kyungsoo.

 

“Great,” Kyungsoo says, completely insincere. Pepper and Ink are straining against their leashes, tails going a mile a minute. It would be cruel to take them back now. Kyungsoo sighs. “Let’s go greet everyone, shall we?

 

Minseok just smiles at him and follows after with Jianggu. Kyungsoo has a much harder time keeping Pepper and Ink from running away. Now that there are other dogs, they’re more consumed with the idea of escaping.

 

Minseok laughs as Ink keeps trying to bounce forward even though he’s been pulled up to his hind legs. Kyungsoo scowls. “How do you get them to stop?”

 

“It takes training, but here you can let them off the leash. This is a dog park, so it’s okay.”

 

The dogs run off the moment Kyungsoo unclips them. Belatedly, Kyungsoo realizes that the only thing on their collars are their rabies tags. There’s nothing showing that they’re Kyungsoo’s. He watches uneasily as they run around before stopping in front of a white poodle. But Kyungsoo knows this white poodle. It’s Vivi, so he supposes that they’re okay.

 

“Well, well, well, if it isn’t my dearest older brother. Now what are you doing here on this beautiful day instead of slaving and withering away in your office?”

 

“Hi Sehun.”

 

Sehun claps him on the back, “All jokes aside, I am glad to see you. Didn’t expect to see you, but I’m glad that I did.”

 

“Yeah, I thought the work could wait a day.”

 

“Or 2,” Sehun adds.

 

Kyungsoo shakes his head. “Let’s not push it. I can keep more reasonable hours if I work on Sunday.”

 

“You can work more reasonable hours because you have dogs that need to be taken care of,” Sehun argues.

 

Kyungsoo’s about to shoot back that he’s not keeping the dogs when he’s interrupted by Baekhyun and Chanyeol’s arrival.

 

“Hello Mr. Do,” Chanyeol greets. He points to Baekhyun. “This is my fiancé, Baekhyun. He runs Byun’s Stop-And-Groom Pet Shop.”

 

Kyungsoo shakes Baekhyun’s hand. “Yes, we spoke on the phone. It’s nice to meet you in person.”

 

Baekhyun has a small cute face that scrunches when he laughs. “Yeah, same. How are your dogs? What are their names again?”

 

“Pepper and Ink. They’re doing well.”

 

“That’s good to hear. Chanyeol told me you’re looking to give them up. How are things on that front?”

 

Kyungsoo doesn’t get to respond to this inquiry either because Junmyeon, Jongdae, and Dr. Zhang come up.

 

“Kyungsoo glad to see that you’re better,” Junmyeon greets. He’s holding a little rat of a dog that’s nowhere near as cute as Pepper and Ink are.

 

“It’s all thanks to all of you. Thank you for taking care of me and the dogs.” Kyungsoo gestures to all them, including Jongin’s who’s walking up with a white toy poodle in his arms.

 

“What are friends for,” seems to be the general gist of the replies given back.

 

Kyungsoo ducks his head to hide his embarrassment. They’re all just being kind. Sehun, being the good brother he is, loops an arm around his neck and pulls him close. “You’re all a bunch of saps. This is why all of you suck at Call of Duty.”

 

In the midst of the group arguing why they are, in fact, good at Call of Duty Sehun whispers into Kyungsoo’s ear, “Now’s a good time to tell you that I never put up an adoption ad for Pepper and Ink.”

 

Kyungsoo whips around, “What?”

 

“Well, you’re not going to give them up, are you? You’re just as attached to them as they are to you.”

 

Kyungsoo wants to argue, but he realizes that his brother’s right. He really is too attached to the dogs. But he doesn’t want Sehun to think that he’s won, so he doesn’t respond.

 

“Kyungsoo,” Baekhyun whispers as he sidles up next to him. Kyungsoo turns to him to show that Baekhyun has his attention.

 

“When Jongin was buying all of that stuff for Pepper and Ink, I noticed that he didn’t buy dog tags. Do you want to come by the store after this is over and get them tags? If you don’t, no one will know who Pepper and Ink belong to if they get lost.”

 

Kyungsoo smiles softly and nods. “Yeah, that’d be good.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading!


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